Combat Fleets

Chile's two new Scorpène -class attack submarines, O'Higgins , on sea trials in September 2004, and sister Carrera , will be the first foreign warships to be armed with the new Black Shark dual-purpose wire-guided heavy torpedo. Torpedo trials on the O'Higgins were conducted in November 2004. Chile's Scorpène -class can be armed with up to 18 of the Black Sharks, which are upgraded versions of the Italian A-184 torpedo. The torpedo is produced by Italy's Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacqui (WASS) and will also arm Scorpène -class boats purchased by the Royal Malaysian Navy. Additional Black Shark sales are likely in the near future. Improvements over older torpedoes include a new multibeam acoustic seeker, an acoustic wake-homing system, silver-zinc batteries, fiber-optic guidance link, brushless motor, and quieter propellers. Maximum speed of the weapon is reportedly 50 knots and its range is said to be 50 kilometers.

This content is only accessible by current members. Please login to view the full content.

Not a Member yet? Learn more about the exclusive benefits you'll receive!